Contextual Links – What Are Paid Content Links?

And, Why Do Companies Want to Pay You for A Simple Online Link?

Oct 7, 2009
Cyndi Allison

Contextual Links Can be a Sales Scam - ncgraphics

Online bloggers and site owners may be approached by various companies about various types of ads including contextual links.

Companies are always looking for new ways to advertise online (including contextual links) and often with approaches that are smooth enough to seem like legitimate endorsements rather than advertisements.

With the new FTC rules which take effect on December 1, 2009, such offers may by quite dangerous for online bloggers or site owners. Fines for such behaviors run as high as $11,000, so those online writers caught advertising in various ways but not disclosing the association could be in big trouble.

What Exactly is a Contextual Link?

A context link is a hyperlinked word or series of words in an article. These are common, of course. But, the paid content links go to a sales page rather than an information page. Someone might see a link in an article that says cell phones and click on that online link thinking he or she will get more information on cell phones. Instead, they get a sales page to buy cell phones.

Who Supports Contextual Links and Who Pays for Context Links?

Many companies offer text link options or contextual links. For example, Amazon affiliates can opt to link from words or phrases rather than put up ads that are clearly ads. Instead of posting the slick ads that look like ads, code is used to hyperlink a word in the middle of an article. Maybe “digital camera” is linked. Readers may think that they will get more information on digital cameras in general by clicking but really go to a page selling a specific camera on Amazon.

More often, Amazon sellers took the direct approach and post up clear ads which are quite familiar to online surfers, although the option is there for contextual links. Many sellers probably did not see or understand the value of such links or phrase links or did not find them fair or appealing.

On the flip side, some companies have clearly known that having a link right in the body of a popular article would be “gold.” Readers expecting more information when clicking text links suddenly found themselves at sales sites where they might simply click and purchase based on public relations data on the site. The site owner got paid to work in that link, but the online surfer is blindsided. He or she is suddenly being sold when he/she thought the link would be an informational web page.

What Is the Value on a Text Link in the Content?

Price is always determined by the market. A site with high traffic and a high end product will mean more cash. A game company may, for instance, offer $75 for a permanent text link (meaning it stays up for eternity or as long as the blog or site is active).

A cooking company may offer a product in the $25 to $50 range for a similar text link. A book seller may send out a free book for such a link. Still others may just offer to provide free content like a page on the blog or site topic with an embedded contextual link. - less work and another page for the site or blog owner.

Are Links In Text Covered Under the New FTC Rules?

Certainly the intention of the new FTC rules to protect customers is to eliminate any shady online deals that are designed to fool online consumers. Context links, however, would be hard to track and govern.

Most links in text are quite legitimate. The blogger or site owner simply wants to provide background information or good data not within the scope of the article. That’s just how the internet works, and most people like that. Even a sales link could be perfectly innocent. Someone talks about a certain product and links the name of the product but does not make any cash from the link. That’s simply sharing good information that a web writer thinks is valuable.

The problem is that it is next to impossible to determine if a link out to another site. especially to a direct sales page. reaped benefits for the blogger or web site owner or whether he or she simply added that to be helpful. If the FTC can figure that out, more power to them. In the meantime, online writers should be wary of such offers.

Getting caught by the FTC could result in a fine of up to $11,000 and/or major legal fees to fight it. And, online surfers should rightly question why a hyperlink goes right to a page where goods are sold. It may be that the online writer simply loves the products, but it could be that the writer was paid or given goods in exchange for link-in's. It's always good to be on guard when online.

Comments

Oct 7, 2009 7:30 PM

Katrena Wells :

Very timely article, Cyndi. Does this mean that writers who have legitimate informational links to sites that sell products should remove those links before the new rule goes into effect?

Oct 7, 2009 7:46 PM

Cyndi Allison :

The new FTC regs for online content don't kick in until Dec 1, 2009, so I doubt they would go after any old paid links or posts.

Also, cases will be hard to make. Who really knows what others got or did not to post.

On the other hand, it's best to keep it clean and avoid any taint of being false online. Most people can smell a rat even if they don't get caught.

As far a legit links, I would not worry a bit. I link all the time and always have. I consider them random acts of kindness. If something is good, I will link and don't ask for anything. I linked a bra store this week. It's just where I buy and a good one. I don't expect a thing in return. It's just somewhere that I would feel like people could go and get good products and service. It's linked as a store though and not like "bras" and SURPRISE - a store. I just said it was a good one, and the FTC could call and check and find that they did not give me a thing to say that.

So - legit - not to worry. Scamming. Watch yourself. They may not catc a lot of folks with the new FTC rules, but I'll bet they make examples of a few like they did on those illegal music downloads.

Feb 6, 2011 4:57 PM

Guest :

Hey, if you are directed to a sales page, it does n't mean you have to buy the stuff. And If you are a keen surfer and spend some hours on the computer searching about historical events, software tools, sports news and so on and so forth, you come across lots of sales pages of whatever. So what's the big deal, unless the page in question contains virus. I don't understand why this is a "fair trade issue" and the article fails to illuminate me. Google does n't like - granted. Google want to provide us with a catalogue service but at the same time they don't want third parties to take advantage. The real reason for contextual links is the search engine, not the guy who clicks the link on your page. The regular visitors of your site are more likely to click on a strategically placed banner than a such link, or just as likely if you prefer. The first time visitors are likely to click nothing. So if FTC / other equivalent authorities made rulings on it it's a case of "Google judges" at work and not real judges. But after all it's "dos moi pa sto kai tan gan kinato" in this world, like the ancient Greeks used to say.

3 Comments